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Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Reason 0029 : Rich Taxi Drivers

Rich taxi drivers? In Singapore? Yes, I think some taxi drivers in Singapore are really rich. How else can you explain the fact that many of them can afford to pick and choose their customers?

Think about it, how many times have you stood waiting beside the road for a taxi, and then watched in rage and frustration as unhired, empty cabs whizzed by? How about trying to get a cab between 11pm and 12am, just before the midnight surcharge kicks in?

If empty taxis ignoring passengers happened at only a particular time, such as meal times, or in the late afternoons or evenings, it would still have been understandable as the taxi drivers may be going for their meals or to for shift changes. However, this phenomenon can be seen everyday and at all times of the day.

It is no secret that rather than pick up a regular fare on the street, these taxi drivers prefer to cruise around and get a telephone booking or hopefully, pick up a passenger from the central business district to earn a extra few dollars.

Some might say these drivers are trying to maximise their earnings or that since they are self-employed, they are free to do as they wish. I agree, but I also say these taxi drivers must not forget they are providing an essential mode of public transport and as such, they are not the same as other self-employed people and cannot do as they please.

The bottomline is, these taxi drivers are not hungry enough. They are the people who whine the loudest when taxi rentals or when diesel prices increase and they always exclaim how difficult it is to make a living as a taxi driver. At the same time, they can afford to ignore a ready customer who is beckoning to them in search of more profitable ones who may or may not appear. Compare them to taxi drivers in Hong Kong or Bangkok where passengers have no problem getting a taxi at any time, even late at night, with no additional surcharges to boot.

19 comments:

hateeastasia
said...

singapore is just crap- plain crap. I'm an Asian myself but I think singapore should be blasted off Asia and thrown somewhere in the middle of the Amazon or something. I have been to quite a few Aian and non-Asian countries but never ever have I experienced shit like singapore.

i totally agree. There was once I had to wait more than 40 minutes to hire a taxi, when there were quite a number of empty taxi that drove past. That made me quite late for my flight. I had never experience anything like that In Hong Kong and maybe Singapore taxi drivers are indeed, very rich.

Very true. Taxi driver in Singapore always pick customers. Once I waited for 20 hours seeing tens of free-taxi drive by. That time I wear a simple clothe like short and t-shirt. So when I decided to put on a blazer one of the taxi just drive to me. Very selfish isn't it. These are Singaporeans.

zzz they are not rich please don't jump to conclusion and stop cursing some ridiculous childish things like what thrown off somewhere bitch go get a life.. they probably just can't see you in the dark ( i assume that you are black sorry about the racist but sometimes its true) or maybe you are just too white and they thought you were a ghost. hey i am 13 and i am saying this crap to these crappy bitches over here

of course they have to select customers. they are human too and they dont want to be ranted and cursed at. esp making them feel indignant when they are driving the right road and those god damn customers maligning them. esp indians and ang mohs

It's true, Singapore is terrible! I just moved from HK, I hate this place, especially the taxi drivers, they are a total disgrace, I don't know how anybody can defend their behaviour, it is nothing to do with not seeing people in the dark, they deliberately ignore passengers on a regular basis, especially at night or when it is raining. Singapore is making itself into a backward country, imagine what tourists and overseas guests think of this behaviour! I'll be back to living in HK as soon as I can, that truly is an international city, not this joke of a backwater with ridiculous pretensions and useless taxi drivers.

some of the reasons why taxis don't stop for u:1)ur in the CBD area,taxis can only pick up and drop off passengers at taxi stands or taxi stops!or else they could be booked by LTA officers!2)u flag down the taxi at bus stops/traffic junctions(taxi can only stop about 9 metres fr stop!),main busy roads in CBD areas(eg Shenton way,Orchard road)reasons only at taxi stand/stop only taxis allowed to pick up!3)of cos this other reason quite understandable!u waited at a taxi stand just metres away fr CBD area!eg taxi stand at Outram Mrt just at the traffic light intersection of Outram rd,Eu Tong Sen st nad Cantonment rd!

I totally AGREE! It happens to me around everyday!!Although I'm a Singaporean, I feel soo much to live in other countries where there are more sensible people to live with who imply with what they say... :(

I agree!, I once helped my friend moved their stuff to his new apt. and we ordered a taxi, and the taxi we ordered picked seemingly elite lady who had just gone out recently, while we bathed in our own sweat patiently waited our ordered taxi, and when we called, they said, they had no more fleets to be sent :/

Tour comparison with Bangkok makes no sense. It is true that it is easy to get a cab here but many times the driver won't want to go to where you go. In some areas they will offer you an overpriced run and all will deny using the meter, specially at night.